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Dreamflight will be coming back to our area this year. Pictured is Dallas Boyd’s group from the 2019 Dreamflight. PHOTO/DREAMFLIGHT
Our community can offer a helping hand.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered most helping organizations for the last two years, but with restrictions lessoning, groups like Dreamflight, which helps give deserving children a needed break from their lives with illnesses or disabilities back home.
Dreamflight is a nonprofit charity based in the United Kingdom that strives to give these children “the holiday of a lifetime.” The charity gives the deserving children the opportunity to come “across the pond” to Central Florida as a peer group, with registered volunteers accompanying and supporting the children on the trip.
Osceola County resident Dallas Boyd was a 2019 Dreamflight volunteer, and is working again on the 2022 trip. He is a “Day Volunteer,” one of those who live within a 50-mile radius of theme park area.
“It is a life changing experience to help these individuals that don’t get such opportunity,” Boyd said. “Many of the children are in need of assistance, and it is heartwarming to see individuals want to be apart of their experience, especially people in the community.” Patricia Pearce and
Patricia Pearce and Derek Pereira founded Dreamflight in 1986. Both having worked for British Airways organized a onehour ‘Christmas party’ flight for unprivileged children. After a successful flight they grew into the Dreamflight they are today taking the deserving children to a ‘magical place on Earth.’ With over 6,000 children being able to attend the 10-day experience, Dreamflight is seeing its own recovery after COVID-19.
“I will be participating in the upcoming year’s Dreamflight and many more to come.” Boyd said. “I encourage our community to register and help wherever possible.”
Information can found at Dreamflight.org. The organization is ramping up its search for volunteers for the 2023 event, slated for Oct. 15-25. Registrations will begin in early 2023.
To see how you can make an impact in a child’s life, contact Shaun Thornton (shaun. thornton@dreamflightusa. net) about becoming a Day Volunteer.
